- Introduction of the concept
- Practise via experiential processes
- Investigation on how to implement new leanings into future situations
Our program aims to answer the needs of individuals, so within each session we ensure that the delivery of information is expressed via many models of learning and teaching. This ensures that each possible style of learning is covered.
Skills and Strategies
Essere’s Growing Years/Youth Program was originally developed because of a need within the community for self-esteem programs and reflected in the observations of;
- more violence amongst children by children
- more children being classified as ADD
- more children presenting with depression or being overwhelmed by life situations and responding accordingly
- more children suffering weight issues
- children suffering anxiety disorders etc
Professor Fiona Stanley, a world authority on child health states "Health and behaviour problems among children have reached frightening levels and a national campaign is needed to avert a looming social crisis". (Dent M. 2003 Pg 2)."Children want to be the driving force behind their own learning…..” (Dent M. Pg 3).
The program was developed to help children have ‘skills in their pockets’, to be able to manage negative feelings and to decrease destructive emotional responses. This will enable children to handle problems through life more productively and hopefully cause a ripple effect towards creating an empowered society. The children receive cue cards during the workshop. They assist in two ways; as an anchor point for the process they learnt and the emotions and thoughts contained in it, and as a future resource & reference for use outside the workshop.
Essere teaches assertive communication skills within the program. The children learn effective ways of relating to others. Essere provides opportunities to practise appropriate models of behaviour and communication styles in an assertive and non-threatening way.
Children’s sense of worthlessness is pervading society and that sense extends into adulthood. Along with these feelings come anger and or anxiety. The Growing Years/Youth Program attempts to help participants find skills to safely release their suppressed emotions. This release will have a positive affect on their health and behaviour not only in the present but extending into their adult life. With the use of relaxation and creative visualisation techniques the children connect with their feelings in a calm environment and release their anxiety and stress safely. This is how Essere provides programs that are preventative in their approach.
To reinforce the experience and outcomes of the stress release techniques, the facilitator verbally directs the children on how to use these skills outside the workshop and encourages them to repeat the processes as often as needed. The continuous practise of the processes allows the children to change their patterning of response to eventually develop into an automatic response much like Pavlov’s dog.
Response to Bullying
“Children who are being bullied need to acknowledge their right to exist in a bully free environment where possible and their right to learn the skills to protect themselves where this is not possible.” (Field E. 1999 Introduction ).
There are three modes of response
- Behaviour
- Thinking
- Emotion
In the context of negative relationships, when a change occurs to anyone of these modes a change will occur within that relationship. When a victim of bullies changes one of these modes, by using protective strategies practised during the GROWING YEARS / YOUTH PROGRAM, the dynamics between the two changes as well, effectively stopping the cycle of bullying for that person.
The processes within the program helps the …“ children develop insight into the bullying game and assume some responsibility for stopping the bully. This is empowering and is also a useful skill they can use throughout their life. “ (Field E.M. Pg 8)
Essere believes the key to breaking the downhill slide to becoming a victim for a child is to help children develop a sense of power over their life. Essere's GROWING YEARS/YOUTH PROGRAM has been developed to teach children to acknowledge their survival instincts and to learn how to protect themselves in an assertive manner. The program is designed to improve participants’ relationships – with the self and others.
- Identifies a learning curve within the experience
- Understands how the experience affects their physiology
- Helps them to identify the context in which to apply the learning
- Self awareness
- Mood management
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Managing relationships
- Confidence
- Curiosity
- Intentionality
- Self-control
- Relatedness
- Capacity to communicate
- Ability to cooperate
The Theory of Brain Compatible Learning (Caine and Caine 1991) is also implanted within the program because different types of information, thoughts, emotions, cultural knowledge and awareness of the environment are embedded in the processes. Essere programs are not just intellect based but also explore and if necessary, challenge emotions, feelings, and attitudes.
The Theory of Observational Learning (Bandura, A. 1986) can be seen where knowledge and leanings are extracted via dialogue with the children and the Role Model and Role Play process. When the observer imitates and performs the behaviour, unless the participants connect to the performance, the learning will not be acquired.
- Learning is never passive – it must be DYNAMIC
- Internal knowledge
- Holistic Approach
- Access whole well-being of individual
- Build Resilience